The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-17
THE sTREET.cAR OUTRAGE.

lent in construction and are kept clean. The
road bed is as good as frst-class construction |
can make it.
So says the News What say the factsf
1t is not an exaggeration to assert that Indian
apois has one among the worst managed street
railway systems in the world; that the cars
arc frequently too filthy for respectable
people to feel comfortable in, while
the road is as cheaply constructed and poorly
equipped as possible. For instance: The
charter of the company provides for conduct
ors; there is not conductor on single car
heavy the travel or remunerative the patron
age 1t is an hourly occurrence for some
person, generally lady, to be seen wildly
running after a Car, which she has vainly tried
to halt at the corner, making her way along
the middle of the street, to overtake wherever
the driver may chance to stop it after his atten-
ton has been arrested by the chorus Of yels
sent up from the Threats of sympathetic peo
pie upon the street Now and then passenger,
already inside, will see the distressed person,
and by ringing the bell cause the car to come
to stop. Such scene as this can be OBJ
served at almost any hour upon any one of
the lines Of our chest street-car system"
Another feature: When the passenger is
seated in the car, he or she is compelled to
walk the entire length of the vehicle to de-
post the fare. If the car be not SO filed that
the person in doing this must tread upon the
feet Of score of people, or else depend upon
some one or half dozen to act as conductors
in the transfer Of the nickle or the obtaining
Of change, the driver seems to take malicious
delight in SO driving his team, especially
around curve, as to throw the passenger
from his or her feet into the arms or the laps
of the persons seated. This is a special
feature of cars that are fairly well laden in
the mornings, and near moons, and in the
evenings. 1t is pleasant spectacle of "our
best street-car system" to see the men and
women thus knocked about, as they endeavor
to maintain an equilibrium while passing to a
seat or carrying up their fares to the farebox.
Another feature of our "best street-car sys-
tenn If perchance fare be not at
once deposited, the driver yells into the
car. Pass up your fares!" and if what
he believes to be tho proper num-
bor Of fares be not forthcoming, he stops the
: car and waits until the amount Of money de-
posted suite him. On an Illinois street car,
last week, this delightful incident occurred:
y According to the drivers estimate one fare
was missing. He called out for it, and it not
,->xesponding promptly, he coolly stopped the
car and told the people inside that he was in
no hurry; that he had all day to wait and
that the car would not move until another
nickel was dropped into the fare-box. The
car was crowded with people who had paid
their fares, and who were en- route to the
Base-ba Park. But that was of no conse-
quence The entire number of passengers
were held in check until the presumably lack
ing fare was produced. This is an experience
enjoyed @ many times a day, perhaps, on
every one of the lines of our "best street-car
system"
Another feature: In the summer time the
,street-car seats are covered with dust; the dust
fills your eyes and stiles your throat, while it
ruins the clothes of gentlemen or the dresses
of ladies' In the winter the coarse, foul straw,
full of grit, of filth, of tobacco-spitte, ground
up by the crunchng of hundreds of pairs of
feet, is absolutely indecent; yet ladies are
compelled to wade in it, stand in it, and ride
4 in 1.-THE cars being much less clearly than
any well-kept pen for fayorite hog Tobac-
co-spittle in pools upon the floors of cars is
q6tts general decoration, so that ladies
are forced to drag their skirts through it, and
to mop the space near the door when they
alight from the bob.tail monstrosities A par.
eel Of small boys, or from one to half dozen
smoking hogs hanging on to the rear steps Of
the car is regular thing. The man or WON
an who wants to get into the car must fight
his or her wy through these. AT night, and
during the day for that matter, it is no un
common thing to see one or more person:
smoking inside of the car. In the experience
OF pretty constant travel on two Of the bes
patronized lines, we have never known NOR,
than two or three instances when the drive
attempted to stop smoking in the car. Tn,
names Of the streets are never called on
during the day or night, and
is not unusual, especially when
is rainy and muddy, for passengers to be car
ried beyond their destination, and have t
tramp through the mud in the middle of tn
street to reach the crossing. These are som
of the features of our "best street-railway sys
tenn" with which everyone who uses the car
much is perfectly familiar.
Single tracks, with yexatious waits" o
switches; tracks above the grade of the street.
upon which carriage wheels are wrecked
abandoned rails, which play havoc with v,
hcles; the hideors "What-is-it' in the midd
Of the principal business street, reeking wit
foul vapors, in which people of all kinds al
hudded together, standing, while awaitin
transfer-thesa ara more of the features of or